District News and Announcements

Alumni Join Choral Students in NRHS WinterFest Tradition

It's a tradition in the New Rochelle High School WinterFest Choral Concert for alumni to return and join the students on stage in singing the climactic number, the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah. The song raised the roof last night in the Whitney M. Young Jr. Auditorium and capped two days of concerts - instrumental on Wednesday, choral last night. Over the two evenings, audiences enjoyed music celebrating the season's holidays and other joys. (And other songs and instrumental pieces that are just fun.)

"Our students are simply amazing," said Interim Superintendent Dr. Magda Parvey. "These concerts really showcase the diversity, the talent and the dedication that make the New Rochelle community so special."

Watch the performance of the Hallelujah Chorus, conducted by Choral Director Jeremy Barbaro with piano accompaniment by Co-Director David Jutt here.

City School District of New Rochelle

Trinity Love Committee Knows Everything You Do Matters

At Trinity Elementary School, the holiday season is the perfect time for the Love Committee to spring into action.

Not that this group of teachers waits for winter before spreading their message of appreciation for all. The committee was formed during a school book fair last February, when Physical Education teacher Troy Millings saw the need to make books available for all students, even those whose families could not easily afford them.

Soon, he was working with several other teachers - Ivette Herrera, Kelly Hawkins, Patricia Thomas and Jillian Ritacco.

They made books accessible to everyone in a subsequent sale, and they continued to spread random acts of kindness to colleagues and others to keep school spirit high. For Mother's Day, all female teachers received lollipop flowers. On Father's Day, it was construction paper bow ties with candy centers for the male teachers.

"If we love our students and we love what we do, we need to reach out," Millings said.

"The Love Committee has become part of the fabric of our school," said Principal Michael Hilderbrand.

Just this morning, the committee held a surprise breakfast for school monitors, the unsung heroes of the school, with carol singers, a photo booth and more. With the holidays arriving, they started an "Amazon Toy Drive" that brought in more than 100 wrapped presents - which was so many that they were able to donate 25 to a local church and to families that were affected by recent fires in New Rochelle.

The committee's initiatives have also expanded, with outside organizations joining in.

"It has spread to the entire community. It's more than just Trinity," said Herrera.

At one point, the members may have been easy to identify with their distinctive Trinity blue T-shirts. But the shirts caught on, and now many others have them as well. On the front of the shirt is a paw with heart in the center. The back sports the words "Everything you do matters," something Hilderbrand is known for saying.

"It's now the school mantra," Millings said.

City School District of New Rochelle

Volunteer New York! Provides Calming Neck Pillows

Students at Jefferson Elementary School received a calming gift on Wednesday when the organization Volunteer New York! donated 45 therapeutic neck pillows fashioned out of fluffy socks weighted with rice.

"I like it because you can take it anywhere, even on an airplane, and it will keep you calm," said fifth-grader Amira Bedell.

It was a thoughtful offering handmade by the organization's RISE job-readiness program with residents of Garito Manor, an independent living facility in New Rochelle. Each pillow is filled with two pounds of rice and can be microwaved for a warm neck comforter or lap band.

"They are calming and great for grounding," said school psychologist Dr. Michelle Memoli. "This helps our children re-focus and increase attention."

City School District of New Rochelle

Teachers and Students Game Earns Donations for Organizations

Is it really important who won the recent teachers-versus-students soccer game? (OK, it was the students.) The true winners were the organizations that received donations from the more than $1,000 raised by the 13th annual event through small admissions fees paid by participants and fans.

The game was organized by the Hispanic Culture Club and the New Rochelle High School varsity boys soccer team. The teams met in the NRHS gymnasium on Dec. 8.

"Having the soccer game allowed us to be able to donate to many different people that truly need it," said Hispanic Culture Club President Veronica Hernandez, a junior. "The money that we were able to donate can help people afford warmer clothes for the winter or bring toys to kids who do not know what it's like to receive presents this time of year."

Recipients were: the New Rochelle Youth Bureau Give a Gift program; the Casa Verde Home of Hope orphanage in Colombia; Una Sonrisa Para Cotija in Mexico; and support for children of immigrants from Venezuela traveling through Colombia.

City School District of New Rochelle

Secondary School Principals Report on Accelerated Classes

The December 18 Board of Education meeting in the Linda E. Kelly Theater at New Rochelle High School featured a presentation on accelerated and advanced classes available to students in the secondary schools.

New Rochelle High School offers more than 30 Advanced Placement courses and 13 college-level "dual enrollment" courses, Interim Principal Joseph Starvaggi said. The high school is expanding its advanced offerings in computer science, the intensive research AP Capstone program and mathematics offered through Syracuse University Project Advance.

The programs in all three schools are in line with the District's Strategic Roadmap. Objective D in the roadmap says the District will strive to make rigorous coursework accessible to all and to increase the percentages of students in accelerated courses.

The young ones who come by the Huguenot Children's Library on many Monday afternoons get to do more than browse for books thanks to volunteers from the New Rochelle High School National Art Honor Society.

That's when the NRHS school artists lead the "Hands Across Art" workshop in the basement of the brick building just across Huguenot Lake from their school. They guide the children in fashioning one-day projects, mostly seasonally themed, such as pop stick scarecrows, paper hearts and leaf hedgehogs.

"We're helping them expand their creativity," said Jasmine Lopez, president of the NRHS chapter of the National Art Honor Society (NAHS). "It's also a bonding activity."

On that day, students were creating snowmen. They started by drawing circles on the paper.

"Then we put cotton balls all over it," said Jonah Koshy, a third-grader at the George M. Davis Jr. Elementary School. "After that, we put on the arms."

The limbs were pipe cleaners. On the faces, many students chose the googly eyes over black paper circles. For Luke Koshy - Jonah's brother and a Davis first-grader - that was the best part.

"Making the eyes so he can see," he said.

The program is led by three student Library Program co-chairs - Lopez, Jordana Hernandez and Sanaz Sadeghi - with other NAHS members taking part as they like and with approval from faculty advisor Alexandra Brock. The three co-chairs have planned every project from October 2018 through April 2019. They run the class and mentor any other NAHS members that come volunteer. Some of the students are gaining experience with an eye toward a career in early childhood education.

"Many of the NAHS students were in this program when they were younger, and now are part of it," Brock said.

It is one of several community projects the NAHS students lead. Recently, they created seasons' greetings cards for Meals on Wheels recipients that were delivered as cheerful notes with the hot lunches.

The teaching activity generally draws eight to 10 students, but has had as many as 20 at once.

City School District of New Rochelle

WinterFest Concerts Coming to NRHS

The sounds of the season will ring out with the voices and musicianship of hundreds of New Rochelle High School students when the annual WinterFest concerts return to the Whitney M. Young Jr. Auditorium next week.

The songs and musical pieces celebrating the holidays, the season and just pure fun span two nights.

On Wednesday, musicians take the stage with the Winterfest Instrumental Concert. The WinterFest Choral Concert follows on Thursday. Both begin at 7 p.m. The Whitney Auditorium is near the high school's main entrance at 265 Clove Road.

The singers and musicians have been practicing for the performances. Wednesday's concert will feature band and orchestra students playing a variety of pieces.

"I wanted the students to be challenged, but I also wanted the music to be really fun so that they would enjoy learning the repertoire and demonstrate that to the audience during the concert," said Orchestra Director Suzanne Morello. She has been preparing the students with Band Director Mark Cooper.

The singers have been training with Choral Director Jeremy Barbaro, who began just this year, and with David Jutt, Choral Co-Director and accompanist.

"There's definitely a broad range of songs and a fresh new feel to the music," said junior Kate Lichtman, a soprano one, who has a solo in Variations on Jingle Bells in the choral concert.

Barbaro has been training the students with the McClosky Technique, which incorporates body alignment, facial exercises, muscle relaxation practices and more to help free the voice. Lichtman said she feels more confident preparing for her solo because of the new training. Sophomore Angelina Hurst said working with the techniques has changed her range.

"I can reach higher notes," she said. "I'm a soprano one now. I was a soprano two."

It is tradition for the choral concert to finish with Chorale alumni joining the singers on stage in performing the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah.

Barbaro assured the students that all will go well if they apply themselves one hundred percent.

"Bring your A-game, give it your focus," he said, "and it will come together nicely."

City School District of New Rochelle

Columbus Students Making Moves at Chess Tournament

The Columbus Elementary School Chess Team competed in its first National Scholastic Chess Foundation tournament of the school year on Dec. 1. The tournament, held at Columbus, saw 99 students representing more than 20 different schools from New York and Connecticut compete.

Students from Columbus Elementary school won eight awards in three sections - Reserve, Booster and Novice - including team successes in all three sections.

"There were many hard-fought battles throughout the day, and many lessons learned," said Chess Team faculty coordinator and ESL teacher Mark Hegenauer - a 2017 recipient of the Scholastic Service Award from the National Scholastic Chess Foundation for inspiring and mentoring young chess players.

Eight Columbus students competed in the Reserve section. The team of Alan Verghese, Ignacio Valencia, Dylan Minchez, Naolin Concha, Dylan Solovyev, Constantine Zelatis, Aiden Rodrigues and Kevin Lopez took 1st Place honors. Individually, Solovyev won a 2nd place, Zelatis took 3rd place and Rodrigues came in at 5th place. Lopez achieved a 2nd place ranking in the under 750 sub-category.

The five-player team of Joel Salick, Gabriela Cesar, Salvador Torres and the Murgias - Gianna and Giovanna - took 1st Place in the Booster section.

The team of Giuliano Murgia, Ashly Corazao, Bryson Sanchez and Tony Zepeda won 2nd place in the 2-3 Novice section. Zepeda also scored an individual award for 7th place.

"We are so proud of our chess players and their amazing chess leader, Mr. Hegenauer," said Columbus Principal Michael Galland. "He and the team from Columbus travel multiple tournaments throughout the school year, including nationals."

New Rochelle was also represented by students from Isaac E. Young Middle School and Daniel Webster Magnet School.

City School District of New Rochelle

App Makes Home Access Center Information More Convenient

Parents and guardians who review their students' attendance, report cards and other information on the Home Access Center (HAC) can keep track of the information even more conveniently using the center's app.Available in both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store, the app can be found by searching "eSchoolPLUS Family".

You must have an HAC account to use the app. If you don't have one, sign up here.

Once the app downloads to your device, enter the required information to begin reviewing everything available on the HAC, which includes attendance records, schedules, state test scores and report cards. For middle and high school students, interim progress reports are also included.

Parents and guardians can also use the app to email teachers, and to change the phone numbers and email addresses they have on file with the City School District of New Rochelle. Please note that physical mailing addresses cannot be changed through the app or HAC. Changes of physical address must be made in person, at the main office of your student's school.

City School District of New Rochelle

Restorative Practices Workshop Planned for Jan. 7, 2019

A workshop on Restorative Practices will be held for parents and guardians of students in New Rochelle High School, Albert Leonard Middle School and Isaac E. Young Middle School at 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 7 in NRHS.

The plan for the workshop stemmed from the high level of interest in Restorative Practices expressed by community members who attended the Board of Education's Nov. 14 Town Hall meeting on the topic.

Parents and guardians who would like to attend the session are asked to register in advance. Register by calling your child's middle or high school or by signing up in person at the school's main office.